Combined key-fastener and key-ring.



J. W. CLARK.

' COMBINED KEY FASTENER AND KEY RING.

APPLICATION IILED OCT. 5, 1909.

954,929, Patented Apr. 12,1910.

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JOHN W. CLARK, OF JUNEAU, DISTRICT OF ALASKA.

COMBINED KEY-FASTENER AND KEY-RING.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Juneau, District of Alaska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Key-Fastener and Key-Ring, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key fasteners of that class which are ap plied to door keys when left in the lock, to prevent them from being turned to unlock the door by means of an instrument inserted in the key-hole and grasping the pin end of the key.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character which may be readily applied to and removed from a door-knob and an ordinary key, and which when not in use as a fastener may be folded to permit it to be conveniently carried in ones pocket and used as a key ring.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of the invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are side and edge views of the wire loop. Fig. 4 is a side or front view of the plate. Fig. 5 is a view showing the parts assembled in reversed position so that the device can be carried in ones pocket and used as a key ring, and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 5.

The invention consists of a spring wire loop 1 to take over the spindle or shank of a door-knob and a fastener plate 2 detachably and reversibly engaged with the loop and adapted to have one of its ends enter the opening in the finger piece of an ordinary door-key. The loop 1 is formed from a single piece of resilient wire bent into U-shape or substantially semicircular shape so that it can be slipped over the doorknob shank, and so as to provide two spring arms 3. The latter are offset adjacent their ends to form substantially U-shape and laterally projecting hooks 4; terminating in enlarged heads or knobs 5 which form shoulders 6, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The hooks .t are formed by bending the arms 3 first laterally as at 49, then downwardly as at i and then again laterally in the opposite Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 5, 1909.

Patented AIM-.12, 1910.

Serial No. 521,056.

direction to provide portions 4 disposed in transverse planes intersecting at rightangles the longitudinal axes of the arms 3 for a purpose presently explained. The heads 5 are formed by upsetting the extremities of the portions 4 and they are of semi-spherical shape with their fiat faces forming the shoulders 6, as shown. The key fastening plate 2 has a straight body portion 2 formed at one end with a beveled edge 7 and it has its other end enlarged and formed with two substantially circular portions having openings 8 adapted to freely receive the knobs or heads 5 on the spring arms of the loop 1. Owing to the resiliency of the arms 3 it will be seen that after the head or knobs 5 have been sprung slightly toward each other and passed through the openings 8 in the plate, said arms will spring apart so that the shoulders 6 of the heads 5 will prevent the fastener plate and loop from becoming detached. The offset hooks at have their portions 4 disposed within the openings 8 and the circular portions of the plate 2 which form said openings lie against the portions 4* and 4P of the hooks when the plate is in either of its two positions. When said plate is in its reversed position shown in Fig. 5, the shape of said parts will maintain the fastener within the plane of the loop and with its beveled end 7 bearing against the closed end of the loop as shown in Fig. 6. When the device is thus reversed it will be seen that there will be no projecting hook shaped portions or sharp edges to wear or tear the pocket and to catch into other articles carried in the pocket.

In using the invention as a key fastener the parts are separated and the loop 1 is slipped over the door-knob shank or spindle while the small end of the plate 2 is inserted in the opening in the loop or finger piece of the door key. The arms 3 are then sprung together so that their heads or knobs 5 may be inserted in the openings 8 of the plate 2, whereupon the key will be efiectively locked against being turned from the outside by the insertion of an instrument in the key-hole and grasping the pin end of the key. This construction it will be noted enables the device to be applied to various kinds and sizes of door locks and permits it to be quickly applied and removed. When the device is not used as a fastener its two parts are as sembled in their reversed position shown in F 5, in which position it will be maintained by the peculiar shape of the parts and the resiliency of the loop. lVhen thus reversed the device may be conveniently and safely carried in ones pocket and it may also be used as a key ring, the keys being arranged on the loop as will be readily understood.

It will be noted that the device is exceedingly simple in construction so that it may be produced at a small cost and will at the same time be strong and durable.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

The hereindescribed key-fastener comprising a wire loop adapted to slip over a door-knob shank and having a closed end and spring arms, laterally projecting offset hooks terminating in shouldered heads and formed by bending the ends of said arms and upsetting the extremities of the Wire,

and a fastener plate removably and reversibly engageable with said loop and having a reduced, beveled end to enter an opening JOHN W. CLARK. lVitnesses James FITZGERALD, L. A. Moon. 

